If your needs are changing, you may be thinking about sharing a home with additional loved ones — grandparents, adult children, or other extended family. Whether it’s driven by finances, health, or simply a new phase of life, you’re not alone in wondering whether living with multiple generations under one roof is the right move. So, Is a Multigenerational Home Right for Your Family?
This is a question I hear from clients more often every year — because more families are actually doing it. Here is what the number say. – Laura Sosnowski
What Is a Multigenerational Home?
A multigenerational home is one where at least two adult generations live together under the same roof. That can look like grandparents living with their adult children and grandchildren, parents living with their adult children, or even four generations sharing one household. Most successful multigenerational homes give each generation its own space — separate living areas, sometimes a second kitchen, and more than one entrance are common features families look for when house hunting.
How Common Are Multigenerational Homes Today?
About 1 in 5 Americans — roughly 60 million people — now live in a multigenerational household, and that share continues to climb. According to Pew Research Center’s most recent analysis, 18% of the U.S. population lived in a multigenerational family household as of 2021, nearly quadruple the number recorded in 1971 and up from a low of just 12% in 1980. More recent tracking puts the current figure closer to 20%, or about 64 million people — a record high.
The growth isn’t limited to any one age group. Pew’s data shows adults aged 25 to 39 and 55 to 64 are about equally likely to live in a multigenerational household today, and among adults 65 and older, a growing share are sharing a home with children rather than living alone.
Why Are More Families Choosing to Live Together?
Caregiving for aging parents is now the number one reason — not cost savings. According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, 14% of recent home buyers purchased a multigenerational home. Gen X led the trend, with 19% of Gen X buyers (ages 46 to 60) choosing a multigenerational home — more than any other generation. Older Millennials were the next largest group.
What’s notable is the shift in why. Health and caretaking needs for aging parents was cited by 41% of multigenerational buyers overall — now the single most common reason, ahead of cost savings (29%) and adult children or other relatives over 18 moving back into the home (27%).
The reasons also vary sharply by age. Younger buyers, ages 27 to 35, are driven far more by affordability: 55% cite cost savings and 19% cite reducing childcare costs, the highest of any age group. At the other end, buyers ages 71 to 79 are overwhelmingly motivated by caregiving — 54% cite health and caretaking of aging parents, the highest share across all ages. Buyers in the 46-to-60 range, largely Gen X, sit in the middle of both trends and are also the most likely to say they’re welcoming adult children or relatives back into the home (36%).
For a complete copy of the latest Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, reach out at Contact Us, or email Info@MaineHomeConnection.com, and we will forward it to you. It includes 111 pages of data, charts and graphs!
Other surveyed households point to caregiving for aging parents, shared household responsibilities, and simply wanting to stay close as families spread out and housing costs rise.
What Are the Benefits of Multigenerational Living?
The vast majority of families who live this way say it works — and it works well. Independent survey data has found that roughly 9 in 10 people currently living in a multigenerational household say their home functions successfully. Families commonly point to more quality time together, shared expenses and responsibilities, built-in support for childcare or eldercare, and a stronger sense of security — all while maintaining a degree of privacy, provided the home is set up to support it.
What Should You Plan For Before Making the Move?
The home’s layout matters as much as the decision itself. Without the right floor plan or enough separate space, having several generations under one roof can strain even close families. The families who report the smoothest transitions are usually the ones who thought through privacy, shared spaces, and boundaries before buying — not after moving in. That’s often the difference between a home that works for everyone and one that creates friction.
Is Multigenerational Living Right for Your Family?
It depends on your family’s specific circumstances — and the right home to support them. If you’re weighing a multigenerational move, we have access to detailed market reports and trend data that can help inform the decision — from the kinds of layouts that tend to work best to what to look for in a home that can flex as your family’s needs change. Reach out and we can go through what would be most useful for your situation.
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About the Author: Michael
